Title: The Presentity of Salvation
Contents Presentity of Salvation (Luke 17:20-21)
[20] When the Pharisees asked when the kingdom of God would come, Jesus answered and said to them, "The kingdom of God does not come with sight, [21] nor can it be said that it is here or there, for the kingdom of God is within you. ’ (Luke 17:20-21)
When I was young, I thought that believing in Jesus meant suffering while walking on the cross in this world and enjoying eternal life in heaven. I asked the person who sang the congratulatory song at the wedding if I could carry the cross. I don't know how much grace it was. Wasn't it not an expression of the will to get married and go the Lord's way better?
Of course, that's good too, but now that I'm over 50, I'm learning something new. We say that we believe in Jesus to be saved after death and to go to heaven, but me, going to heaven is a later thing, and I believe in Jesus and live in God's grace is the best in this world first. Isn't there a saying in the world, "It's good to be on the move even if you bend over in the poop"? First of all, you have to believe well and be good on this earth, isn't it?
I would like to speak today on this topic - the presentness of salvation. As I live, I am so good, happy, grateful and glad. Of course, the weather is rainy, thunderous, and thundering, but there are many sunny days and it rains, so sunny days are happier. Climb the back mountain after the rain, how clean and fresh is it? Our lives are like this too.
I think our evangelism message should be “God lives, if we believe in God, we are happy, if we believe in God, everything will be prosperous.”
As we become a faith centered on Jesus Heaven and Hell, it lacks presentness and becomes too central to the afterlife. However, to be precise, the blessing of salvation starts from the moment we believe. What happens when there is a lack of presence? You see the world negatively. This sinful world is not my home - ,they tend to view everything in the world as sinful. If you are zealous for worldly affairs, you will be treated as if you have no faith. But God loves the world. Didn't Jesus come to this world?
They say that we are happy that we are not going to hell but going to heaven. Yes. But what did poet Cheon Sang-byeong write? In a poem called Happiness, “I am the happiest man in the world,” and in a poem called Gwicheon, “I will return to heaven…” Did you not say that on the day the excursion in this beautiful world ends, I will go and say it was beautiful?
How are you guys? Are you happy living in this world? guys ask me
I am happy, I can say that I am happy with my life with my wife, son and classmates, studying at school and socializing with friends, everything is happy.
What is Eternal Life?
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16).
“Eternal life is to know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent” (John 17:3).
What do you know here? I know GNP candidate Lee Myung-bak well, and I know former President Kim Young-sam well. We even shook hands. Ex-President Kim Dae-jung is also the one I shook hands with. If you ever meet Candidate Lee Myung-bak or former Presidents Kim Young-sam or Kim Dae-jung, ask them if they know Seo Moon-soo. I don't know... I will. Yes, I know, but they don't know me. Because there is no relationship.
To know God here and to know Jesus Christ whom he has sent. Knowing is eternal life. Living together is eternal life. That relationship continues even after death. This is eternal life. Getting to know God well from the world and living in Him is eternal life. So, to know God and His Son, Jesus Christ, is eternal life. So, the more we know, the closer we get, the more we are friends. Salvation is the amazing experience of living in relationship as a child of God, who did not know God before and had no relationship. Eternal life. Therefore, it is abundant from this earth.
The same is true from the point of view of the kingdom of God.
Both John the Baptist and Jesus began to preach the kingdom of God.
“The kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel”
“And he said to them, “I tell you the truth, some who are standing here will see the kingdom of God come with power before they die” (Mark 9:1).
“Jesus said to him, “Do this when you pray. Father, hallowed be your name, and your kingdom come” (Luke 11:2).
“But if I cast out demons by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God has come upon you” (Matthew 12:28).
“The kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit” (Romans 14:17).
What does it mean to be in you?
(1) It means in the heart. The heart will be the center of our life. The kingdom of God comes into my heart and my life. (Chaos, Darkness / Void / Disorder - Light / Fullness / Order )
(3) It means to come into our present life.
The present life refers to all areas of life where we have children and raise children on this earth, live together as a married couple, work hard and earn money, eat and live. When all these lives are in the grace of God, we do not live as slaves to material things. Don't be selfish. God's righteousness, peace, and joy abound.
- Sashimi Restaurant-
They do it to earn money, but money is not the only purpose, and there is joy in the job. Aren't they delighted when you scoop out delicious sashimi and serve it to your guests? When they are happy, the owner will be happy too. So am I. Such joy is my joy. How do you hold a sermon? Right now, I'm not trying to hit the sermon. Through sermons, it brings you closer to God, gives you strength and courage, makes you depend on it, gives you thanks, opens your spiritual eyes, and makes you pray --- that is joy.
In any case, in all these lives, there is the reign of God's grace. Guys, we live, but I didn't plan my life. There was a directing of God in my life. Living in the reign of God is the kingdom of God.
Believing in God absolutely begins with present blessings. This is our message. Isn't separation from God death? But isn't it saying, "To all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God"? - (John 1:12)
Who is God?
God is alive. God is love. Not much love, but love itself. God does not betray the trust of those who believe and depend on him. God is afterward. God is omnipotent and created the heavens and the earth. The universe created by God is truly huge. The sea in front of me is very wide. But the Earth, the Sun, the Sun is 1.3 million times the Earth, and the star Epsilon is 2.3 billion times the Sun. Earth is also a star. An astronaut named James Irwin saw the Earth rising from the moon. The sun is a star and the earth is a star, and there are many stars in the universe. There are over 100 billion galaxies (more than 500 billion stars). God is the great One who created the great universe.
How difficult is it to believe in God?
48 out of 100 people in the world believe in God. (Catholicism 15, Protestantism 11, Islam 11)
(Other Hinduism 13, Buddhism 7, rest - non-religion, etc.)
A great God, a generous God, a God who answers prayers.
Alexander of Russia in the 19th century was once a king who ruled over a very vast area. I once gave a slave a very rare and fine gold cup that he used. When the slave looked at the golden cup in the king's hand, he was so upset that he fell on his face and said, "Your Majesty! A humble bastard like me doesn't deserve such a good gift." Then Alexander replied: "Well, but to me this is not that great. Come on, take it."
“Jesus answered and said to them, “The kingdom of God does not come with sight, and it cannot be said that it is here or there. For the kingdom of God is within you” (Luke 17:20-21).
Are you worried or anxious? Let's start anew in faith. Let's open a new life of faith. Let's start the happy journey of my life again. Really good. I believe that God will allow us to open a new life together within the opportunity God has given us. Life is a journey. Leave everything to the guide, what do you eat today, eat deliciously, and just as a trip to see and enjoy is enjoyable and good, my life is also … It's a fun experience and an exploration. May God open up a new blessing on this Bongil altar.